A festival, entitled “Hello! Vietnam†will take place at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on September 19-20 following the success of a similar previous event.
Kitajima Gendo, head of the organising board, said the Vietnam Festival 2008, which marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Vietnam’s diplomatic ties, was the largest ever exchange programme between the two countries. It drew the participation of more than 150,000 people, including Crown Prince Naruhito.
At this year’s festival, Vietnamese restaurants in Tokyo and neighboring provinces in Kanto region will introduce Vietnamese special foods such as pho (noodles served with beef, chicken) and goi cuon (rolled raw fish and vegetables).
The organising board will mark out areas for introducing Vietnam’s culture, trade and tourism and for Vietnamese enterprises to showcase their products.
A number of cultural and art activities, including a fashion show and a performance of T’rung, Vietnam’s traditional instrument, by Japanese artist Kumiko Oguri, will be held during the event.
As scheduled, a meeting will be held on August 20 to discuss preparations for the event. The meeting will be attended by Japanese senator Iwao Matsuda, Chairman of the festival’s committee, and Vietnamese ambassador to Japan Nguyen Phu Binh, the committee’s consultant.